


A Kingdom in Danger, A Kingdom United

by sheiksleopardthong



Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (2013), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Gen, Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons, rise of the brave tangled frozen dragons, super six
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-13 14:51:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1230514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheiksleopardthong/pseuds/sheiksleopardthong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a peaceful year in Arendelle since the queen was crowned, and began developing her powers properly. Everything seems to be going well for the kingdom. Of course, "too well" is a given. When an unprecedented attacker arrives in Arendelle, Queen Elsa must call on the help of the neighbouring kingdom of DunBroch to aid her. In fact, she'll take all the help she can get. And not all of it is what she's expecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Our First Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Once I saw Frozen I knew I had to write a "Super Six" fic. I'd like to thank my sister for letting me bounce ideas off of her until I'd figured out what I wanted the plot to be, and Katiegoot for editing this chapter for me.

**"Nothing burns like the cold." – George R. R. Martin**

          "Jack! No!"

          The bitter chill soaking his clothes soon works its way down to his bones. Against his will, the freezing water burns down his throat and into his stomach when his body takes an involuntary gasp for air. It's too dark to even see the sunlight above the frozen lake's surface, and even deeper he sinks, eyes closing when the bubbling remains of air in his lungs finally ceases. True darkness sets in, and it does not stop.

.

          "Your highness." A voice on the other side of the tall wooden door calls, a light rap of the butler's knuckles resounding through the princess' room.

          Anna groans, rolling over away from the window and speaking around her cheek, mashed into the pillow beneath her. "C'mon, don't make me get up yet."

          "M'lady, I'm afraid you asked me to wake you. The royal ice deliverer will be joining you for breakfast in an hour's time."

          "The royal whosit?" Anna curls up under the covers, just wanting to go back to sleep.

          "Kristoff, the royal ice deliverer," his voice holds no frustration, years of letting Anna wake up slowly giving the butler a great amount of patience. "Highness, I do not want to tell the queen you're not cooperating."

          "Wait, no!" Anna scrambles towards the door in sudden desperation, falling out of bed with a pained groan. "I'm up, I'm up," she moans, pouting at the amused chuckle heard from the other side of the door.

          "Stupid Elsa with her stupid magic and her stupid ice water wakeups," she grumbles as she tosses the blankets tangled around her legs back up on the bed. Anna leaves her bedchambers , blinking rheum out of her eyes on the way to her bathing room. The steel tub has already been filled with hot water, and Anna sighs in relief at the sight of the steam rising from it. She strips of her bedclothes and steps into the tub without hesitation, and it's as if she can feel the oil from her skin come away. A bar of soap through her hair later and she's feeling clear as the sky above.

          The dress she had had laid out for her looks perfect for the warm spring day, and Anna takes her time putting it on. She braids her hair up on her head to keep the wet locks from soaking the dress. Clothed and ready for the day, Anna pads through the castle barefoot, down to the dining hall to await Elsa and Kristoff.

          As it turns out, they're already waiting for her, seated at the small round table that usually resides in the dining hall. They only bring out the big long rectangular one for feasts now. The queen and the princess both prefer a little more intimacy when it's just the two of them eating together.

          Today Kristoff's joining them though, so it's even more cozy than usual. Anna plops herself between her sister and her suitor with a satisfied hum.

          "Good morning, Anna," Elsa smiles.

          "Morning!" the princess chirps, returning the smile before turning to the other side to press a chaste kiss to Kristoff's lips. "And a good morning to you, too."

          "Uh huh," he nods, flushing a little. He gets flustered when they kiss in front of Elsa. Anna thinks it's cute. So of course she tries to fluster him at every opportunity.

          Anna goes to tease him, finger poised and ready to poke Kristoff's pink cheeks, but she's interrupted by food coming out of the kitchen. Her nose follows the scent until she sees a small roast ham, surrounded by eggs and breakfast biscuits.

          "Have I ever mentioned that I love it when we have company?" Anna grins, watching the food being placed on the table, bouncing a little in her seat with anticipation.

          "Only every time that we do," Elsa laughs, sitting back in her chair as the servants retreat to have their own breakfast now.

          It's a good thing, too, because Anna digs in quickly, piling as much food as she can onto her plate. She cuts the ham, taking a good number of slices for herself, but cutting enough for the others not to have to. She figures it's the least she can do. (Though she knows now she doesn't have to apologize for her unprincess-like excitement when it comes to food; Elsa and Kristoff have both assured her often enough that they actually enjoy it that she doesn't let it worry her anymore.)

          "What're your plans for today, Elsa?" she asks her sister after her first mouthful, while the queen's still slowly filling her own plate.

          "There are a few legal issues I have to take care of today," Elsa says with the diplomatic smile she's always been so good at keeping. "Documents to sign, meetings to make, that sort of thing. What about you?" The queen takes the time given her by her question to begin eating, poised and dainty.

          "Well that all depends on Kristoff," Anna beams, elbowing the aforementioned man and nearly sending his forkful of egg flying. "I've got a lot I want to do, but I doubt he's up for doing _all_ of it."

          "You're not easy to keep up with," Kristoff agrees, getting his food to his mouth without incident.

          The rest of breakfast is filled with the sound of food being eaten, some small talk punctuating the sentences, usually instigated by Anna. Elsa and Kristoff are both comfortable with nothing being said, and though the princess understands this, sometimes she gets antsy during silences. Elsa and Kristoff understand this, too.

          Elsa escorts her sister and her (anticipated, at least) future brother-in-law outside, where Olaf and Sven are waiting. The snowman sits on Sven's head and they seem to be engaged in a thrilling conversation, but Olaf cuts it short when the humans come into view.

          "Hello!" he greets as enthusiastically as ever. "It's good to see you princess Anna. I was afraid you were going to sleep right through breakfast."

          "It's been known to happen," Elsa chuckles softly.

          "It's good to see you too, Olaf," Anna picks her friend up off of the reindeer, giving him a hug before putting him down on the ground. She doesn't mind the snow that falls on her head under Olaf's cloud. In fact, in the warm summer air she's actually thankful for it. They haven't been outside long and already she's overheating. Maybe this dress was a bad idea.

          "We'll be back in time for dinner," Kristoff nods to Elsa, attaching the sleigh back onto Sven, carefully checking each hook and tie.

          "I should hope so. We can't have the princess gallivanting at all hours of the night," Elsa hums with a smile. "Will you be joining us for dinner as well, Kristoff?"

          The man looks between the queen, with her expectant, questioning glance, and the princess, who's nodding with a face-splitting grin.

          "I suppose I am," he says, snorting and holding his hand out to help Anna up into the sleigh.

          The princess takes it, resting almost no weight on Kristoff's hand, really pulling herself up, but she understands now that he does it to be gentlemanly, not because he doesn't think she can make it up on her own. If Anna thinks about it, there have been a lot of things the three of them have come to understand about each other over the past year, since Elsa was crowned.

          "We'll see you tonight," Anna grins, waving to Olaf and her sister. "Hope you have a good day."

          "And you," Elsa reciprocates the wishes. The sisters wave to each other until Kristoff drives Sven around a corner and out of the queen's sight.

          Anna turns back to face the front, snuggling up to Kristoff and holding his arm with a soft smile. "Did you have anything planned for today?" she asks, looking up at him.

          "Nothing big. I thought we could have a picnic lunch overlooking Arendelle, but other than that the day's all yours," he laughs, having prepared for the day knowing Anna would want to do more than there was time to.

          "That sounds lovely," she says, leaning her head on his bicep, watching the city slowly fade to forest around them, the farther they go from the castle. "I was thinking we could go to the beach, if that's alright with you. I thought about getting a paddleboat, but that's not fair to Sven."

          The reindeer makes a contented noise of thanks as he runs.

          "The beach sounds great," Kristoff agrees. "It's a good day for it. Anything specific you wanted to do there?"

          "Well, _everything,_ " Anna rolls her eyes with a grin, though Kristoff isn't looking down at her. "Getting ice cream, sun tanning, swimming, walking around, looking for crabs. You know. Beach stuff."

          "You can't tan, Anna, you've got red hair."

          "It's _strawberry blonde_."

          "Well your skin's gonna be strawberry blonde if you lay out in the sun for too long, so maybe we can cross that off your list?" he looks down at her with an expectant smile.

          Anna frowns, letting go of him to cross her arms. He's right.

.

          It turns out there aren't many people at the beach, at this time of morning, so Kristoff and Anna get the expanse of sand and ocean to themselves. The sun glints off the water of the fjord, brightening everything further. Anna has to shield her eyes when she looks over the water, but she can't keep the smile off of her face even as she does so.

          "Do you wanna build a sandcastle?" she asks, looking over at Kristoff, flat palm still angled over her eyes, squinting.

          "I'm not much of an architect," he chuckles in response. "Sand's not nearly compact enough to work with."

          "Oh nonsense," Anna says, now determined to prove her suitor wrong. "You just need to get it a little wet. Don't tell me you've never built a sandcastle before."

          "Of course I have!" Kristoff's protest is a little louder than it should have been, and when Anna shoots him a questioning look he deflates quickly. "It's been...a _very_ long time, though."

          "Well today we're gonna build one together," Anna decides, taking his hand and dragging him closer to the water's edge. She starts building up a damp base for the structure, humming quietly as she does so, making sure to tell Kristoff what she's doing while they work.

          It doesn't take long before they have a basic rectangular structure with towers at each of the corners. It seems Kristoff's a fan of symmetry.

          Just as they're finishing up the outlines of the front door, the tide recedes much more quickly than it has been for the last hour or so they've been at the beach. Anna looks up over the fjord, eyebrows knit in worry.

          "Anna?" Kristoff looks to her first, then follows her gaze out over the water, watching the ocean draw back ominously. He stands and walks out, following it.

          Anna stands hastily and grabs his bicep, pulling him back desperately. "Kristoff, no, it's – something's wrong." She pulls him back, stumbling over their sandcastle, not minding her strength. "Something's really wrong."

          There's something off in the distance, and they both see it at the same time. It's hard to see with the sunlight reflecting off of the waves, but there's a speck in the sky, and it's fast approaching.

          "What is that?" he asks, pointing as it comes closer, feeling his way into the sled, not taking his eyes off of the sky.

          Anna's doing the same, not even noticing the regular discomfort she would feel from sitting on her wet dress. She's started to shake in anxiety, but puts her hand on Kristoff's forearm when he goes to take Sven's reigns.

          "Anna, we have to get out of here."

          "No, we have to see what it is," she replies quietly, unable to push much more than air through her lips.

          "You're crazy! We need to go!"

          "We need to see what it is," Anna insists. "So we can tell Elsa what's going on."

          Kristoff only waits a second before snapping the leather in his hands, sending the already nervous reindeer bolting back towards Arendelle.

          Anna nearly falls over in surprise, taking her eyes off of the approaching thing in the sky to glare at her suitor.

          He interrupts before she has the opportunity to argue. "We can't warn Elsa of _anything_ if something happens to us. I'm taking you home." He shoots her a look of his own, eyebrows furrowed in worry and finality. Anna knows there's no arguing with Kristoff, so she nods, clinging to him and trying her best not to look back at the thing in the sky.

          She'd made out wings before Sven had taken off, and now she tries her best not to think about it.

.

          "You're back early!" Olaf's grin stretches his face, but it falls when he sees the grim expressions on Kristoff, Anna, and even Sven. "What's wrong?"

          "There's something flying towards Arendelle," Anna says, leaping out of the sled and running towards the front doors. "I have to warn Elsa."

          She doesn't hear Olaf's reply, already through the doors into the castle. The first maid she runs into (nearly literally) tells her the queen's in the conference room with her advisors and Anna nearly forgets a rushed _thank you_ before taking off up the stairs.

          "Anna!" Elsa exclaims when the princess slams the heavy doors to the conference room open, out of breath and pale. "I'm sorry, gentlemen, I'll just be a moment," she smiles, placating, to the men around the table.

          "We don't have a moment," Anna says, brow knit with urgency. "Elsa, something's coming towards Arendelle."

          Elsa frowns. "What kind of something?"

          "I don't know," Anna shakes her head, so the rest of her body doesn't get that idea first. "But it's flying from out over the ocean."

          "Flying?" Elsa echoes, and the rest of the room does the same. "Show me."

          Anna scrambles to the stairs again, running up to the observatory. Elsa follows, short heels clicking on the stone steps with purpose. Her dress ripples behind her like flowing water and the queen prepares for the worst.

          Once they're in the tower, Anna points out to the horizon, near the beach. The thing in the sky is visible with the naked eye, but it's still difficult to make out. Elsa looks through the telescope, taking a precious second to focus the lenses and search around for whatever's fast approaching her kingdom.

          Anna waits nervously, the stillness of the air and Elsa's calm putting her on edge. She looks over the side of the tower to the courtyard below. Olaf and Sven sit together by the steps of the castle. Anna can't see Kristoff, and she wonders where he's gone to.

          "Anna," Elsa addresses her sister weakly, stepping back from the telescope.

          "What is it?" Anna asks, more worried now that Elsa is than she had been before. "Did you see what it is?"

          Elsa nods. "Yes, it's..." Elsa puts her hands on the stone rail of the observatory, looking out at the speck.

          Anna watches Elsa from the corner of her eye, waiting for the queen to speak. She doesn't dare look through the telescope herself, or prompt her sister to continue. She almost doesn't want to know, now. Finally, Elsa takes a small, almost silent breath.

          "It's a dragon."


	2. Everything's Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fear is banished only by hope. And there's a lot of both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you katiegoot for editing this chapter for me.

**Courage is grace under pressure. – Ernest Hemingway**

          "Elsa!" Anna calls, nearly having to sprint to keep up with her sister's speed-walking through the castle halls. "Elsa, where are you going?"

          "I don't know!" Elsa cries, not turning around or slowing. But her voice echoes through the hallway, desperation creeping in.

          Anna dodges the patches of ice that pop up on the floor wherever Elsa steps, growing more worried about her sister's mental state than the dragon, honestly. "Elsa, wait," she tries again, picking up the pace until she's walking quickly beside her sister. "Elsa we're not going to be able to do anything if we don't sit down and _think._ You were already in a meeting with your advisors, right? Shouldn't they be able to help you plan a course of action? Help _us_ plan a course of action?"

          Finally, the queen slows, taking a deep breath. The ice forming around her steps doesn't melt, but she frowns in thought, obviously taking Anna's suggestion to heart. Elsa alters her course a little, heading back to the meeting room.

          Anna sighs in relief, following her sister still, grateful for the significantly slower pace.

          They reach the council room, Elsa going back to take her place at the head of the table. Anna takes an empty seat, the one as close to her sister as possible. Usually she would take the seat on Elsa's immediate right, but the entire room can see the grave expression on their queen's face, and no one thinks to make the "proper" adjustment around the table for the time being.

          "Arendelle is being threatened," Elsa says, chin raised in a very royal way. Her chair slowly frosts though, so there's no doubt she's terrified.

          The councilmen erupt into frenzied arguments at the news, talking over each other, trying to get more information from the queen. She holds a hand up and they quiet. Anna would think that awfully impressive, if the situation weren't so dire.

          "It's Weselton, isn't it?" Councilman Mikkelsen asks angrily, as if he'd been waiting to blame them for some time.

          "I wish it were Weselton," Elsa says. "I wish it were another kingdom, here to wage war for our land. But this threat is one that hasn't been seen in these oceans for longer than anyone can remember. As a result, I need all of you to keep calm; I need you just as much as this kingdom needs me. And I can only keep myself sane if you are by my side. Promise me that."

          "We promise, Majesty," councilman Mikkelsen says, and the others follow suit, eager to know the threat they face.

          "Arendelle is being quickly approached by a dragon," Elsa finally says, with a quick, rushed breath, like she'd been storing this one sentence since she'd seen the great beast in the sky. Anna wouldn't be surprised if she had.

          Silence falls in the room. Some faces hold horror, some a thoughtful, pensive look. Anna watches the thinking men. She's horrified enough on her own; she doesn't need to see other peoples' terror as well.

          "The Southern Isles owe us a favour," councilman Andersen says, humming.

          "They're navy-based," councilman Bloch retorts. "I doubt they'll be too helpful once the dragon makes it to the land, which won't be long." He looks to Elsa for confirmation, and she nods.

          "What about Corona?" Mikkelsen suggests, placing a finger on his lip while he speaks. "They'd respond immediately if we asked for their help."

          "Perhaps," Elsa says, though she looks hesitant. "We haven't seen our aunt and uncle in a very long time, and I wouldn't want to call them to Arendelle for aid in battle, after so many years of no contact. But add them to a list. As well as the Southern Isles. If we need them, it's good to know our options in a pinch."

          "What of DunBroch?"

          "DunBroch?" Anna turns her attention to councilman Pilgaard, across the table from her. "I haven't heard of that kingdom."

          "We've had a long time of peace with them, though our kingdoms have similar exports, so trade with them is a little redundant. The royal family was unable to make it to your coronation, as they were looking for a suitor for their own princess at the time."

          "Send them a request," Elsa says. "What are their names?"

          "King Fergus and Queen Elinor. As well as Princess Merida, and Princes Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. Though the princes are too young to be involved in political affairs, currently."

          Elsa nods. "Do we know if they have any knowledge of dragons?"

          "I haven't heard of any, majesty, but... There are a people who deal with dragons regularly. Though we have had no contact with them as of yet."

          "Tell me," the queen doesn't have time for dancing around a subject. No one does, not in all of Arendelle.

          "The Vikings," he spits out, frowning. "The Vikings of the Barbaric Archipelago. They've been fighting dragons for generations. If anyone will be able to help us best, it's them."

          "Send the Vikings and DunBroch messages. Ask them for their aid, and inform them that negotiations on what we can give them in return, unfortunately, will have to be put off. Stress our lack of knowledge, and the urgency of the situation," Elsa purses her lips in thought before continuing. "Send the Southern Isles and Corona messages too, explaining the situation, but stress that they shouldn't come. We may need them for more man power, but not for the time being."

          "Yes, majesty," many of the councilmen say at once, getting to work discussing their duties once Elsa rises, and moves to leave the room. Anna follows on her heel, noticing Elsa's not freezing the ground around her anymore. She hopes that's a good sign, but honestly Anna still isn't sure how to read her sister.

          "Where are we going now?" the princess asks.

          "To speak to Kristoff," she says, as if it's obvious. "He must be worried sick by now."

          "Oh. Yeah, good point," Anna admits sheepishly, picking up the pace now that she's thinking about Kristoff. "What're we going to do about the citizens of Arendelle? How are we going to keep them safe?"

          "I don't know!" Elsa says, fingertips resting on her face now, as if to focus her thoughts. "Maybe... Maybe we can keep the children in the castle. To keep them safe – or the women and the children... No, there's not enough room. Anna, I don't know."

          "We'll figure it out. Maybe the Vikings can tell us how to protect people from dragons."

          "Right. Yeah, we'll have to see what DunBroch and the Vikings say. For now we just have to tell them."

          "Exactly. Hey, why don't you go help with those letters. I can talk to Kristoff, and hold a conference to tell the kingdom about the dragon. You do the queen stuff; I'll do the princess stuff."

          "Oh, would you?" Elsa stops, and turns to her sister with a look of immense relief. "Thank you, Anna. I'll see you later," Elsa touches her sister's hand in thanks before running off, back to the council.

          Anna continues down the hall, towards the front doors. Kristoff waits for her in the front foyer, pushing off of the wall he's leaning on to meet her as she rushes to him.

          "What is it?" he asks, big warm hands resting on the sides of Anna's shoulders. "Do you know what's going on?"

          "It's a dragon," she says. "There's a dragon flying towards Arendelle. I need to tell the kingdom. I need – I need to address the people." She pulls away from her suitor, but takes his hand, leading him back up through the castle to the balcony that serves to make announcements.

          The people who catch the speech react just how Anna had expected. Near-blind panic.

          "Queen Elsa is currently writing letters to kingdoms with the resources to aid us," she insists. "We will protect our kingdom. We'll protect you. Please. Stay calm, and we will do all that we can. We'll tell you everything we find out, soon as it happens. Please, put your faith in us."

          The people in the courtyard below quiet a little, looking around at each other with apprehension.

          Anna says "thank you" quietly into the long metal horn in front of her, hearing her gratitude echo through the air as she turns and goes back inside, into Kristoff's waiting arms.

          "Everything's going to be okay," he says, face pressed into the hair around her neck. He sounds confident in it, and whether or not he really is, Anna appreciates it. "DunBroch and the Vikings should get their letters soon, and they'll be here to help in no time."

          "You really think they'll help? The Vikings especially have no ties to us. No reason to help."

          "They fight dragons, right? And they're _Vikings_. They're not exactly known for being peaceful, or forgiving. I get the feeling they'll be more than happy to come to Arendelle and help us be rid of it. Don't you think so?"

          Anna nods slowly, the movement made awkward because her head's resting on Kristoff's shoulder. "Yeah. Thanks. But!" she pulls away from the embrace frantically, nearly conking her head against Kristoff's. "What if it's too late by then? What if the dragon flies over Arendelle, breathing horrible fire and dragging its claws and by the time DunBroch and the Vikings get here, everyone's dead?"

          "Let Elsa and the councilmen deal with it. For now, you need to focus on staying calm. You know how your sister can get; you need to be the rock that stabilizes her. I don't think we need another snow-capped summer. Not on _top_ of a dragon."

          Anna nods, chuckling a little. "That's a good point," she says. "We should go wait outside the meeting for her. For when she's done."

          "Princess Anna, Princess Anna!"

          The strawberry blonde turns to see a young page running down the stairs frantically. He bows once he's before her, out of breath but still caught up in formalities.

          "What is it?" she asks, needing to know what's going on more than she needs to be _bowed_ to, for cripes' sake.

          "Councilman Andersen sent me to keep an eye on the dragon, highness," he says, standing straight now to get his breath back. "And I have news."

          "And?" she's quickly growing tired of the boy's dramatic pauses.

          "The dragon, it's not coming toward Arendelle anymore," he pauses again, but Anna gives him an impatient look to make him continue. "It's hiding itself up in the big mountain. The one Queen Elsa ran to last year."

          "Does the queen know this?" Kristoff asks when Anna pauses to think.

          "Yessir. I told the council first."

          "The dragon's in the mountain?" Anna finally says, looking for clarification.

          The boy nods. "I stayed to see if he came out for five whole minutes, and he didn't. I guess he likes it in there."

          "This changes everything," Anna says gravely. "It's not an attack, now. It's an invasion."

          "There could be more dragons," Kristoff says. "On their way."

          "Please," Anna says under her breath, glancing up the stairs towards her sister. "Hurry up, Elsa."


	3. Heirs Apparent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some chapters will not have summaries because I hate summaries okay they're HARD.

**“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between." – Norton Juster**

          "Hey, Toothless, calm down, bud."

          The Night Fury, sitting on his haunches, teeth extended and bared, swivels his eyes to look down at his human companion. The skin of his forehead wrinkles, and the expression is one of incredulity. _Really?_ He seems to ask. _You're looking pretty aggravated, yourself, human._

          "Getting worked up isn't going to help us at all," Hiccup rationalizes. He knows he's not the best example of calm at the moment, but when Stoick, his father and the leader of the Hairy Hooligan tribe, calls a meeting of the village elders, it's a little difficult to remain calm. "We've just gotta wait and see what dad says. If he decides to tell us anything, that is."

          Stoick hasn't changed much since the Vikings had defeated the Green Death, a couple of years ago. But his reasons have. The man still hesitates to share Viking business with Hiccup, but it's no longer because he thinks his son can't do anything about it anyway. Just the opposite, in fact. Now Stoick keeps Hiccup in the dark so he won't fly off to do something about the problem at hand. At least, not without the teen's promise to consult other dragon riders, and to include them in his plans.

          It's still frustrating, Hiccup thinks. He's the heir of the Hairy Hooligans! He should be allowed to sit in on meetings at the very least.

          Hiccup crosses his legs, tinkering with the metal of his artificial one absently as he and Toothless wait for some sign of life from within the great hall that serves as Berk's meeting place. Toothless goes back to snarling at the huge wooden doors. Hiccup sighs.

          He'd not hate waiting so much if he and Toothless weren't alone. But everyone else on Berk has disappeared into their homes, terrified of an imminent threat.

          There hasn't _been_ a threat, but after living in fear of dragons most of their lives, the Vikings are...well, more than a little paranoid. And so, the two sit alone on the steps of the hall.

          The doors are thrown open with much more force than necessary, and Hiccup nearly falls. The teen catches himself, though, metal foot hitting the stone just in time to save himself. He stands, and Toothless drops to all fours, ears perked in anticipation.

          "Dad, what's going on?" Hiccup asks the vast figure in the doorway. "Are we under attack?" Maybe Hiccup's still a little paranoid, too.

          " _We_ aren't," Stoick says, eyes narrowing in thought. "Son, have you ever heard of a kingdom called Arendelle?"

          "It's up north, right?" Hiccup recalls the world maps he had poured over as a kid.

          "Aye," Stoick nods. "They've been invaded by a dragon. A big one. And they've asked our help to be rid of it."

          "We've never had communications with Arendelle before," Hiccup says. "They're only contacting us for help because we've befriended dragons?"

          "Not quite," Stoick walks down to the grass and continues past Toothless. That's one of the few things that Hiccup and his father have in common: they think better when they're walking. Toothless follows on Hiccup's right when the boy stumbles to catch up with his father.

          "They sent the letter because they've heard we _fight_ dragons, Hiccup," Stoick says, quietly enough that the boy doesn't quite catch it, and he has to process his father's words before he fully understands them, and when he does, his eyes widen.

          Oh.

          They're asking the Vikings to kill the dragon.

          Hiccup had played a major role in killing the Green Death, but after these (however short) years, the thought of killing a dragon opens a great pit in the teen's stomach. Toothless must see him go pale, because the dragon bumps his head into Hiccup's thigh, looking up at his as if to say _What're we gonna do?_

          "What're we gonna do?" Hiccup asks his dad.

          "That's what I'm not sure of," Stoick says. "The elders say we should leave Arendelle to their own devices, because they can't give us anything for our help until after the dragon is gone. But if the dragon is, in fact, hostile, I can't just let them be attacked. It's not right."

          "You're right," Hiccup hums in agreement. He bites the inside of his cheek as an idea comes to him. "What if I went to Arendelle, dad?" he asks, looking sideways at his father, unsure how the man will take the suggestion.

          "Now, Hiccup, you know how I feel about – "

          The teen shakes his hands in front of him and shakes his head. "No, dad, hear me out, here. I can go to Arendelle, talk to their leader – "

          "Queen Elsa," Stoick interrupts.

          "Queen Elsa – and see what's going on. Toothless and I can assess the dragon that's there, and we can send another letter back for reinforcements if we need them. If Toothless and I can get rid of the dragon, or at least make sure it has come in peace, even better, right?"

          Stoick ponders this long enough that the three do an entire loop of the village before he speaks.

          "Alright, Hiccup," the man nods. "I suppose that could work. But you're not going alone."

          "But – !"

          "No, son, you've never left the Archipelago, and I may not be able to go with you, because of my duties here, but there is someone I trust to keep you from doing anything too reckless."

          "Really? And who's that?"

          "Astrid Hofferson, of course."

          Hiccup really should have guessed that one. "But _dad_ , she'll just slow us down. Toothless and I are much faster than a Deadly Nadder. You know that."

          "I'm willing to have you arrive in Arendelle a few hours late in return for a better guarantee of your safety," Stoick says, stopping in his tracks. Conversation over. Hiccup stops a few paces ahead of his father and stops too, sighing.

          "Fine," he says as he turns around, trying his best not to pout like a petulant child. "Astrid comes with me. _If_ she agrees."

* * *

          "Of course I'll come with you!" Astrid nods, leaving the door of her home open for Hiccup to step inside as she gets to packing quickly. "When are we leaving?"

          "Dad says after dinner," Hiccup says, watching the girl throw an extra pair of socks and her good shield in a pile.

          "You especially hungry?" she asks, hiking her bag up on her back and getting her sword from its place by the door.

          "No," Hiccup says slowly, getting out of Astrid's way as she heads outside.

          "Then we should probably get going," the girl grins, then sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles.

          Stormfly must not have been far, because she swoops over the Hofferson house and lands in front of Astrid like she'd been expecting to be called.

          Hiccup closes the door once he's outside again and mounts Toothless, not moving until he hears the click of his artificial foot locking into place on the foothold.

          "I need to stop by my house before we go," he says.

          "I'll go on ahead," Astrid moves Stormfly away from Hiccup and Toothless. "I imagine you won't have any problems catching up." They take to the sky like the release of a tightly pulled arrow, and Hiccup thinks maybe having Astrid along won't be so bad.

.

          "Oi! Princess! Urgent princess news!" King Fergus' voice echoes off of the stone walls of the castle, so that Merida hears him loud and clear, even down in the kitchens.

          "Comin', dad!" she calls back with equal resonation, if not equal volume.

          Merida stuffs a roll in her mouth and runs up into the throne room where her parents had just been holding a Very Important Meeting. She skids to a stop before them, bowing sarcastically before taking the bread from her mouth, chewing the piece she'd bitten off.

          "Wha' is it?" she asks; after swallowing for her mum's sake.

          "You've got your very first diplomatic job," Fergus says with a grin. Merida wonders if he's pawning it off on her she he doesn't have to do it.

          "We've received a letter," Elinor begins, elaborating on her husband's vague statement, "from the kingdom of Arendelle, to the north. They have requested our help, in a rather urgent matter."

          "Yeah? What's going on?" Merida asks, worried about her mother's tone. The queen's hands are clasped in her lap, knuckles white with the strain of it.

          "There's a dragon," Fergus says. "It has taken up residence in a mountain in Arendelle, and the queen of that kingdom has asked we help them."

          "We've got a treaty with them, don't we?" Merida asks her dad, and catches the proud look from her mum that she remembered something political. "So we should help them."

          "Yes," Elinor says, "but we have never dealt with the dragons before. DunBroch has no knowledge of the beasts. The greatest adversary we've had is Mor'du."

          "And...we defeated Mor'du," Merida says slowly. "You and I, mum."

          "I cannot leave DunBroch," Elinor says. "Or, I have no need to. But you, Merida, are strong, and young, and resourceful. And you have more experience with creatures."

          "You want me to go to Arendelle?"

          "We can send an army to their aid, should it be necessary," Fergus says, "but we can't know if it is without...er, an _assessment_."

          "You want me to assess the danger?"

          "Yes. That's correct," Fergus straightens his shoulders with some difficulty, as if the weight of putting such a task upon his daughter's shoulders is manifesting physically.

          "I'll go, then," Merida says. "I'll act on your behalf and decide whether or not it would be wise to bring an army to Arendelle's aid."

          "Thank you, Merida," Elinor says. "A ship shall be prepared for you immediately. It should take you straight to the fjord in Arendelle. Write as soon as you arrive, to let us know you've gotten there safely. Tell us how you're doing every day you're away. Don't let us worry, now."

          "Och, mum!"

          "This is your first time leaving DunBroch alone, Merida," Fergus says. "Your mother is right, you have to let us know how it's going, and how _you're_ doing. A dragon isn't something to be trifled with."

          "And how do _you_ know, da'? Have you ever _fought_ a dragon before?" Merida counters, knowing very well that she's deflecting and that Fergus will fall for it.

          "Have I ever fought a dragon?" He stands, puffing out his chest like Merida's committed a great offence by questioning it. "Of course I 'ave! Back when I was a young man, Merida, out tossin' cabers in the forest ta woo yer mum – "

          "I'm sure Merida can hear the story later," Elinor interrupts her husband gently. "For now, there are preparations to be made for her trip."

          "Right, of course," Fergus says, sitting back down. Although he looks a little upset that he didn't get the chance to tell his story.

          "I'll help you pack, Merida," Elinor stands now, stepping down to guide the girl to her bedroom as if she doesn't know where it is.

          "Mum! I can pack on my _own_ ," Merida protests, following her mother and trying not to glare at her. She knows the woman is only trying to help but _ugh_ it's so _frustrating._

          They reach Merida's bedroom and Elinor sits on the edge of the princess' bed, perched and looking very royal.

          "And what were you planning on packing?" the queen asks.

          "A looser dress, and my nightgown, and my bow," Merida lists, thinking. "Oh, and food for Angus."

          Elinor looks up at the ceiling, which Merida has come to realise is the adult equivalent of rolling one's eyes. "You will need much more than that, Merida." The queen stands and goes over to Merida's armoire, looking through it and choosing more dresses than Merida wears in a week. "When you are representing DunBroch, you will change your outfit every day. Sometimes more. You've seen me change for dinner before, then again for tea afterwards."

          "Mum! I'm gonna be fighting a _dragon_ , not drinking _tea_! What's the queen going to think if I show up with all these stupid dresses if she needs me ta fight?"

          Elinor pauses, thin hands running over the satin of one of the princess' least favourite dresses. "Your father never fought a dragon," she says. "You know that, right?"

          "O' course," Merida says, frowning at her mother's suddenly grave tone. "He makes up stories all the time, an' there's not been dragons in Scotland for nigh a hundred years. Why?"

          "I am," Elinor pauses again, frowning, "worried, Merida. We don't know what to expect. From the dragons, or the kingdom of Arendelle. Or from you."

          "Mum, I'll be _fine_ – "

          "You cannot argue that you're reckless," the queen says. "I don't want you rushing into something you cannae know you will come out of."

          "Mum..." Merida sighs, going over to the woman and sitting on the bed, much less poised, less regally than Queen Elinor is capbable of. "I know you're worried, but this is something you've asked _me_ to do. You have ta let me do it."

          "I know, Merida," Elinor says, and she begins putting the most despised dresses back into the armoire. "A mother can't help but worry, though."

          "I'm sorry, mum. But I have to do this my way," Merida puts a hand on her mother's shoulder and squeezes it. "I wish you could come with me; everyone knows you're much better at this kind of thing. But I'm going alone. So I have to do it my way."

          "You'll still send us letters every day, though," Elinor tries to demand, but it comes out sounding more like a deflated question.

          "Yeah, mum. I will."

* * *

          The ship is ready by the next morning, a message to Arendelle that Princess Merida of DunBroch is on her way already in the skies.

          The ship itself is tiny, only big enough for a private voyage. Merida and Angus look down at the rest of the royal family on the dock below. Merida waves with a confident smile. Her mother has taught her everything she knows. The princess is sure she'll do her kingdom proud, and prove that she's not the insolent child she once was, that she once wished she could always be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm basing some HTTYD stuff on the books, which I've read most of, so if you've only seen the movie/TV series and there's anything about Berk and Hiccup and Toothless that seems a little, like, /made up/ to you, it's either a direct reference to the books, or is based off of them.


	4. What's to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid isn't very good at making friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rost is a Viking unit of measurement. It equals about a kilometre.

**"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience." – Paulo Coelho**

          "Astrid, are you sure we're going the right way?" Hiccup calls from a hundred feet above the ground.

          "Of course I'm sure," she calls from beside him. "East."

          "It's not –” Hiccup stops to sigh in frustration. "Arendelle's not due east. It's mostly north, actually." Astrid moves Stormfly to the left so she's flying due north, and Hiccup has to do the same with Toothless to follow her. "Have you ever even looked at a map?"

          "Of course I have," she cries, offended. "Don't be an ass."

          "Have you ever looked at a map of anything _outside_ of the Barbaric Archipelago?" he counters.

          The air's silent for a moment before Astrid calls, "Well, no –”

          "Exactly. So maybe leave the navigation to me." Hiccup steers Toothless over beside the woman and reaches his hand out. Astrid shoves the map into his hand none too gently, though at least she's careful enough not to let it fall to the ground, so far below.

          "We should probably stop for the night soon," she suggests. "It's getting dark, and I'd rather not fly over the continent at night. You never know what's gonna be out there."

          "You're right," Hiccup says, looking down. "I'm not sure I want to land in this thick forest though. And I _really_ don't want to sleep in a tree."

          "Why don't you and Toothless fly ahead a ways? See if the forest ends anywhere soon?"

          Hiccup nods, leans forward on his dragon, and rubs Toothless' head. "Alright, buddy, hopefully not too much longer." He switches the position of his foot in the stirrup, and the two take off through the sky.

          Not two rosts ahead, Toothless slows, and Hiccup looks down into the small clearing they've found. Astrid's still visible behind them, a speck against the clear evening sky, but visible nonetheless. The sun's setting behind them and Hiccup circles Toothless around the clearing to get her attention, and continues doing so until she catches up a few minutes later.

          "That didn't take too long," she says. "Is that a tower?" Astrid gestures to the tall, circular building near the centre of the round clearing.

          "Looks like. I was thinking of asking them if we can spend the night or something," Hiccup says.

          "And if they're scared of our dragons?"

          Hiccup hadn't thought of that. "We...do something else."

          Astrid sighs. "Alright, let's go then."

          The two descend, landing softly on the grass. They don't bother dismounting their dragons just yet as they walk around the small circumference of the tower.

          "There...aren't any doors. Or openings of any kind," Astrid frowns. "Is there even anyone here? It _is_ in the middle of nowhere, after all."

          "Maybe it's abandoned," Hiccup says, looking up. "But there's a window up there. I guess all that's left to do is check."

          "There's no way Stormfly's getting in there. And it'll be a tight fit, if Toothless can."

          "We'll both ride Toothless then," Hiccup says, and Astrid climbs onto the Nightfury without question.

          They fly up to the window and Toothless hovers outside it. He isn't made for hovering though, so Astrid hops into the windowsill and knocks on the wood while Hiccup and Toothless circle slowly.

          There's no answer, and the girl knocks again. A minute goes by, and there's still nothing. She relays this information to Hiccup before deciding to check around inside. The wood swings inward with a light touch of the girl's hand, and she hops to the floor, her weight settling loudly in the small room. It's dark, any candles that might be littering the place are unlit, and the quickly-setting sun outside offers no assistance. Astrid lets her ears do the seeing for her.

          "Hello?" she calls, "I don't mean to intrude, my friend and I are just looking for a place to stay the night...and this is the only building for a long ways." Still no answer. Astrid supposes the place is abandoned after all, or that the inhabitants are out. She turns to the window again, planning to tell Hiccup they're alone.

          But there's a faint movement in the shadows. Hesitant, amateur, weak. Astrid side steps, taking hold of the wrist that had foolishly extended itself towards her. She takes the cast iron frying pan from her attacker's hand, tripping them and sending them sprawling to the floor.

          The girl lands in the slowly fading light from the window, sprawled like she's used to falling. More used to being on the defence than the offence. Astrid wonders if she has a lot of intruders. She wonders if they all get the same welcome she did.

          "Whoa now," Astrid says, putting the frying pan down. "I don't mean any harm. Like I said; just looking for a place to stay."

          The girl sits up, big green eyes scared and twitching from side to side, looking for something to defend herself with, or somewhere to run. Like a cornered rabbit. Her hair's unnaturally long, hanging heavy off her skull. She's sitting on none of it, and Astrid guesses she must be used to that, to avoid tangling it. It disappears out of the light's reach. The Viking wonders just how long it is.

          "Hey, if it's a 'no', that's okay," Astrid says slowly. Is this girl deaf? She hasn't responded to a word Astrid has said.

          "I'm sorry." The girl on the floor speaks, finally. "I, um... I don't get a lot of visitors."

          "I can see that," Astrid chuckles a little. Hiccup's much better at making friends than she is. She wishes he were in here with her, but he's not. So Astrid has to hope she's doing an okay job of not being an asshole. She extends a hand to the girl. "I'm Astrid. It's good to meet you."

          "Rapunzel," she lets Astrid help her up, brushing off her dress once she's on her feet. "I'm sorry I attacked you," she looks up at the Viking sheepishly, lisping a little as she talks. "But it's nice to meet you too."

          "You said you and your friend are looking for a place to stay the night, um...where's your friend? And how did you get up here?"

          "Promise you won't freak out?"

          Rapunzel nods, and Astrid leans out the window, waving to Hiccup. He flies over to the window where he sees her.

          "Is it abandoned?" he asks.

          "No, but the girl here's really friendly. Do you think Toothless can fit through the window?"

          "No way. And I can't dismount in the air or Toothless will fall."

          Astrid frowns. "Keep close. I'll see what we can do."

          "I'm landing. Toothless is getting tired."

         Astrid nods and turns back to Rapunzel, whose eyes are wide like the sun at high noon.

          "W-what was that?" the girl asks, pointing out the window where Hiccup and Toothless had been just a moment ago.

          "Dragon," Astrid says softly, hoping to calm Rapunzel down before she goes for the frying pan again. "They're perfectly friendly. They're our friends. I swear, we're just looking for a place to stay the night." She's starting to feel like her crazy uncle Thornleggs, who'd only repeated the same song over and over again during the last year of his life. It wasn't a very comforting thought.

          "O-okay," Rapunzel nods, a little apprehensive still, but willing to trust Astrid. The Viking is amazed at how quickly Rapunzel took to her, actually. It's kind of weird.

          "Is there any way my friend can get up from the ground?"

          Rapunzel nods. "Now it's your turn to see something new," she says with a smile. She gathers all of her hair up into her arms (Odin, there's a lot of it), then flings it out of the tower. She strings it over a hook hanging from the roof, waving down to Hiccup on the ground.

          "Grab on," she cries, gripping her hair like a rope. Once he's done so, Rapunzel starts pulling him up, slowly but steadily. Astrid marvels at the strength it must take to do that, but the girl doesn't look put out at all.

          Hiccup hops onto the windowsill once he's outside it, careful not to get his artificial leg tangled in Rapunzel's hair. The girl stumbles back, nearly landing on her rear end again, but Astrid catches her in time to prevent that.

          "Astrid, your friend is a _man_ ," Rapunzel says, finding her footing and darting behind the Viking, hiding.

          "Well he's more of a boy if you ask me," Astrid hums, frowning. "But what of it?"

          "Aren't you scared?"

          "We ride _dragons_. What makes you think a _boy_ can scare me? Watch this," Astrid walks over to Hiccup and punches him in the shoulder. She pulls it so he only squeals like a stuck pig instead of something a lot more embarrassing.

          "Hey!" Hiccup whines, rubbing his quickly bruising shoulder.

          "I – I guess," Rapunzel says, but she doesn't look any less wary.

          "Why are you afraid?" Astrid asks. "Have you had bad experiences with men before?" A lot of the Vikings of Berk that had been personally harmed by dragons had had a tough time getting used to being around them. Perhaps Rapunzel has had the same sort of traumatic experience.

          "No, I... I've never met one before. But my mother says they're scary, and dangerous."

          "Rapunzel, even if he was, I'm technically more dangerous than Hiccup. So you've got nothing to be afraid of."

          "Can... Can I see his teeth?"

          "What? Why?"

          "My," Rapunzel frowns, embarrassed now. "My mother says they've got pointy teeth, so... I guess I just want to see if she was right. That's all."

          Hiccup starts forward carefully, letting Astrid remain between himself and Rapunzel. He hooks a finger into his mouth, pulling his lips away to show his teeth. They're flat, of course, just like they've always been.

          Rapunzel sneaks forward slowly to get a better look inside Hiccup's mouth. She visibly relaxes, extending her hand to the boy enthusiastically now.

          "It's nice to meet you," she says. "I'm Rapunzel. I'm sorry I was rude, but Astrid's your friend, and I trust her. I should have earlier too."

          "I'm Hiccup," the Viking says, shaking Rapunzel's hand. "And it's okay. I mean, you've never met a guy before, like you said."

          Rapunzel nods, going to light some candles so they can actually see the cozy tower the solitary girl lives in. "Mother's out for the next few days, so you two are welcome to stay the night. It's too bad your dragons can't fit inside, but the glade has a river with clean water, and plenty of soft grass to lay down on!"

          "Yeah, they'll be fine outside for the night," Hiccup says. "But thank you so much. Is there anything we can do to repay you for helping us out?"

          "Oh no, that's alright. I'm excited to have company. The only visitor I've ever had is Pascal. And," she looks around quickly, then speaks quietly, "he's not a very good conversationalist."

          "Neither's Astrid. Ow!" Hiccup exclaims again when his companion hits him on the same shoulder as before.

          "Actually," Rapunzel hums as she gets out cushions for them to all sit on, "there is... one _small_ thing that I would really appreciate."

          "What is it?" Astrid asks, getting comfortable when she's prompted to sit down. "We'll do it if we can."

          "I wanna know... what the floating lights are. What they look like up close." When the Vikings look confused, Rapunzel runs off for a moment, coming back with a sketchbook. She opens it to a page in the centre and lays it on the floor for the others to see. "These floating lights. I see them every year, on my birthday."

          Hiccup looks at the beautiful sketch of the night sky, filled with cylindrical lanterns, probably lifted through the air with the heat of the flame inside the paper, which is a really good design. Hiccup will have to experiment with the idea once he gets back to Berk.

          "I've never seen those before," he says. "We aren't from around here, sorry. But they look like lanterns."

          "Lanterns," Rapunzel repeats quietly. "Well, if you're not from nearby, you must travel a lot? Or at least, you had to get here. Could you tell me about the world outside?"

          "Well, how far have you gone?" Hiccup asks. "Have you left the forest?"

          Rapunzel shakes her head. "I've never left this tower."

          Hiccup blinks as he processes what the girl just said. "You've...you've never been outside?"

          She shakes her head. "Mother says it's dangerous. There're... bandits. And poisonous animals, and... And men..." Rapunzel trails off, frowning. "But she was wrong about Hiccup. Was she wrong about all the other stuff, too?"

          "Well, not necessarily," Hiccup admits. "Sure, there's bandits and poisonous animals, and a whole lot of other dangerous stuff. But I wouldn't say running into them is common. And being kept in this tower your whole life isn't going to keep you a whole lot safer than being anywhere else."

          "It sure as Sif will keep you a whole lot dumber, though," Astrid says. She sighs when Hiccup gives her a stern look. "Rapunzel, staying up here just means you'll be unable to explore, and to learn. Maybe your mom has a good reason for keeping you up here, alone, for so long. I mean – how old are you?"

          "Seventeen," she answers quietly.

          "Thor's biceps, _seventeen_? You've gotta make your own decisions. Even just exploring the clearing around your house would be a good start."

          The girl seems to think about that. "I guess you're right. But I don't know how I'd get back into the tower when I finished. My mother uses my hair to get back into the tower just like Hiccup did. And that's the only way in," she looks over to the window forlornly.

          "Oh!" she claps, grinning with an idea. "What if I go out with you guys? Then your dragon could fly me to the window and I would be able to get back in, no problem!"

          "That's... a good idea, in theory," Hiccup says slowly, "but we're going somewhere that's potentially dangerous. _Really_ dangerous. I don't think it's the best idea to take you with us. _Especially_ as your first time ever leaving the tower."

          "I see," Rapunzel deflates.

          "I guess if you were definitely okay with coming with us, we would happily take you," Astrid says, looking to Hiccup and receiving a nod of confirmation. "But you have to be sure."

          "Well," Rapunzel looks a little less sad now, "what kind of danger is it that you're _potentially_ facing?"

.

          The cushions Rapunzel had laid out for them are much more comfortable than Hiccup would have guessed. He ends up sleeping rather soundly. It's not until birds chirp to announce the morning that he awakens.

          Astrid's already up, sitting by the window and looking out at nothing in particular. She doesn't look up at Hiccup when he sits up, but she does address him. "Rapunzel's making breakfast."

          "Oh. Okay," Hiccup says, surprised. "Has she said anything about coming with us yet?" Astrid shakes her head. The boy stands, stretching his sleep-weak body and ambling over to the window to join his friend.

          Hiccup looks down to see Toothless and Stormfly, who look comfortable on the grass at the base of the tower.

          "I hope you guys are hungry," Rapunzel calls from what Hiccup assumes to be the kitchen. She emerges from around the corner with a huge tray of eggs and toast, a few plates balanced in the crook of her elbow. She sets it all down expertly on the floor by their cushions, and the Vikings scramble over, eagerly digging in.

          "This is amazing, Rapunzel, thank _aagh_!" Hiccup cries when her eggs go down the wrong way, attempting to take refuge in his lungs rather than being digested properly. Once he's saved himself from choking (no help from the women in the room, apparently) he looks over to see Astrid stifling harsh laughter. Rapunzel, however, looks as if she hasn't even noticed his near-death experience. "Rapunzel?"

          She looks up startled when he addresses her, as if she'd thought she was alone the entire time. "Yes?"

          "What're your plans for today?"

          "Well I'm coming with you, aren't I?" Her eyes are wide and her mouth is open just a little curiosity.

          Astrid grins.

          "I suppose you are."


End file.
